Wade ruled out of Six Nations as England winger faces SIX MONTHS on the sidelines

Stuart Lancaster’s plans to freshen up the England three-quarters for the Six Nations were in tatters on Monday night after wing Christian Wade was ruled out for six months with a foot injury.

Lancaster was looking at Wade and London Irish flyer Marland Yarde on the wings in the tournament which starts against France in Paris on February 1.

But the 22-year-old has now joined Yarde, who has a ruptured hip tendon, on the sidelines after he injured ligaments in his left foot in Wasps’ 19-12 win over Irish in the Aviva Premiership on Saturday.

Blow: Christian Wade will undergo surgery on a foot injury picked up against London Irish on Saturday

Sidelined: Wade faces upto six months out and will miss England's Six Nations campaign next year

ENGLAND'S CASUALTY LIST

Flanker Tom Croft: knee reconstruction, expected return April.

Centre Brad Barritt: ankle surgery, return New Year.

Centre Manu Tuilagi: torn pectoral muscle, return late February.

Lock Geoff Parling: shoulder surgery, return March.

Prop Alex Corbisiero: knee surgery, return late March.

Prop Mako Vunipola: knee injury, return late December.

Wing Marland Yarde: ruptured hip tendon, return late February.

Wing Ben Foden: knee problem. Must see specialist, return unknown.

Wing Christian Wade: foot problem, return early June.

Lancaster was pinning his hopes on the pair, who made their full debuts on the summer tour to Argentina, putting new impetus into a backline heavily criticised for stodgy play in the three autumn Tests.

He had wanted to give them an extended opportunity in the autumn games, but those plans were dashed by injury as well.

Only Yarde started a match, against Argentina again, but was then laid low by the hip problem, while Wade would have started, but for a hamstring strain picked up in a Premiership match at Gloucester.

England’s problems have been exacerbated by Ben Foden, who is capable of playing on the wing or at full-back, injuring a knee on Northampton duty which will keep him out for 12 weeks.

Lancaster is likely to keep faith in Chris Ashton, who has freely admitted he has been playing below par, while versatile full-back Mike Brown could switch to the wing, giving Saracens’ Alex Goode another chance in the No 15 jersey.

If he wants to gamble, Lancaster might give Bath’s Anthony Watson, who trained with the squad last month, his first cap.

Double blow: Fellow England winger Marland Yarde has also been ruled out of the Six Nations

Other options are the Gloucester pair of Jonny May and Charlie Sharples, who have both won caps under Lancaster.

Besides
Wade and Yarde, prop Alex Corbisiero, lock Geoff Parling, flanker Tom
Croft plus centres Manu Tuilagi and Joel Tomkins are also ruled out for
the start of the tournament.

Dai
Young, Wasps’ director of rugby, said: ‘Christian was hugely unlucky to
miss out this autumn with England and he had hoped to push on and put
in some good performances for Wasps to get him in contention for Six
Nations selection.

‘It is a huge blow for him, but he is a young player with a huge future and his time will come around again.’

Absent friends: Corbisiero (left) and Tuilagi (right) will also miss next the forthcoming championship

The
announcement of Wade’s injury overshadowed confirmation England will
play three Tests against the All Blacks next June. The squad will also
face New Zealand’s top provincial team, the Crusaders, in Christchurch.

Twickenham
also confirmed that players who appeared in the Aviva Premiership final
on May 31 would not be considered for the first Test in Auckland a
week later because of the restricted training time and the necessary
recovery from jet lag.

Wales
and Lions scrum-half Mike Phillips yesterday signed for Paris club
Racing Metro. The 31-year-old was dismissed by Bayonne at the end of
October after allegedly turning up to a video analysis session
intoxicated.